Means for adjustably mounting an electrical plug connector



June 24, 1958 J, L. HERRQLD 2,840,792

MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING AN ELECTRICAL PLUG CONNECTOR Filed June 28, 1956 I'lilll'l Fig.2.

Fig. 4.

INVENTOR Jack L. Herrold.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING AN ELECTRICAL PLUG CONNECTOR Jack L. Herrold, Plainfield, N. J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 28, 1956, Serial No. 594,406

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-126) This invention relates to means for mounting power cord connectors for devices such as television receivers where dangerously high voltages are present. Because of the presence of such high voltages, the Underwriters Laboratories requires that the cord connector be attached to the back panel of the receiver sothat the connector will be detached from the receiver when the panel is removed, exposing parts normally subject to these high voltages. Thus, whenever these parts are exposed, the receiver is disconnected automatically from the power source. The Underwriters Laboratories further requires that this cord connector must not be detachable from this panel without the use of tools.

' It has been proposed to utilize a connector provided with a plug portion which may be pushed or pressed into a mating hole in the receiver panel, during which insertion it is somewhat deformed and after which it snaps into place and cannot be separated from the panel. This push-in type of plug connector is normally mounted in a substantially fixed position in the panel of the receiver. It has been found that the mounting of this type of plug connector directly to the panel is not entirely satisfactory because tolerances in the assembly of the chassis in the cabinet of the receiver makes mounting in a fixed position undesirable.

It is an object of this invention to provide animproved means for mounting an electrical plug connector of the above-mentioned type.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means for mounting an electrical plug connector of the above-mentioned type which is adjustable so that tolerances in the assembly of the chassis in the cabinet of the receiver may be discounted.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description taken in accordance with the accompanying drawing, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the end of a push-in type of cord connector;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front views of the members used to mount the cord connector;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the improved means for mounting the cord connector showing the assembly attached to a chassis; and

Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the members shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a push-in type plug of a cord connector through which power is applied to mechanisms within the cabinet of the television receiver. The plug of the cord connector is molded upon the end of a wire connector 11 containing the two power wires 12 and 13, which are electrically connected at their plug ends 10 with the two conductor sockets 14 and 15, which are arranged to receive corresponding elements (not shown) in the receiver. The plug 10 is provided with a peripheral groove 16. Adjacent to the United States Patent 0 four corners of this plug connector are lugs 17 presenting faces perpendicular to the central axis of the plug. Forwardly of the lugs 17, the groove 16 is deepened as at 18. The plug 10 also has portions 19, which are shown in staggered relation to the lugs 17. As also shown, the portions 19 are set oif from the body of the plug as by means of the grooves 20 which are positioned opposite to the lugs 17. Also, between the lugs 17 the material of the plug may be further reduced in crosssection on opposite sides as at 21.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, at 25 and 26 (Fig. 4), there is indicated the chassis and the back panel respectively of the television receiver. The back panel 26 has an opening or aperture 27 therein. In Figs. 2 and 5 there is shown a first connector-retaining member 28 having a central portion 29 which is substantially U- shaped and which is arranged to extend forwardly through the aperture 27. The member 28 has integral end flanges 30 and 31 which engage the outer face of the panel 26. The central portion 29 is provided with an aperture 32 and has oppositely disposed tab portions 33 and 34 which extend inwardly in the direction of the center of the aperture 32, and except for which the aperture 32 is substantially rectangular in outline. The marginal portions on the outer face of the tab portions 33 and 34 engage the portions 19 of the plug 10 when the plug connector is in fully inserted position and prevents excessive inward motion of the plug when being snapped into place. In Fig. 3 there is shown a second connector-retaining member 35 having opposite end portions 36 and 37 which may engage the inner face of the panel 26. The member 35 also has an intermediate portion 38 provided with an aperture 39 which is substantially rectangular in' outline. The intermediate portion 38 of the member 35 also has opposed flange portions 40 and 41 which may bear against the top and bottom edges respectively of the central portion 29 of the member 28 to prevent independent rotation of the member 28. The member 35 is also provided with an integral tongue portion 42 extending inwardly into a slot 43 provided in the chassis 25.

The back faces of the lugs 17 of the plug 10 may be inclined to the axis of the plug so that they may be inwardly deformed by engagement with the marginal portions of the tab portions 33 and 34 about the aperture 32 and the marginal portions of the member 35 about the aperture 39.

It will thus be seen that when the plug 10 is pushed into position the lugs 17 and portions 19 together engage the outer surfaces of the connector-retaining members 28 and 35. The portions 19 of the plug prevent excessive inward motion of the plug when being snapped into place in the connector-retaining members 28 and 35. The flanges 30 and 31 of the member 28 and the portions 36 and 37 of the member 35 are thus located on opposite faces of the panel 26. Since the flanges 30 and 31 may be separated from these end portions a distance greater than the thickness of the panel 26, the assembly provides an adjustable or floating mounting for the electrical plug connector.

While my invention has been shown in a preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a panel having an opening therein and an electrical plug connector having a peripheral groove, means for mounting said plug connector in an adjustable position with respect to said panel comprising a first connector-retaining member having a central portion extending within the opening in said panel,

and having end flanges positioned adjacent to the outer side of said panel for preventing said first connector-re taining member from passing through the opening in said panel, said central portion having an aperture therein, with marginal portions on the outer face of said central portion about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on one side of said groove, and a second connector-retaining member positioned adjacent to the inner side of said panel and having an aperture therein, with marginal portions on the outer face of said second connector-retaining member about said aperture being in engagement With portions of said plug connector on the opposite side of said groove.

2. In combination with a panel having an opening therein and an electrical plug connector having a peripheral groove, means for mounting said plug connector in an adjustable position with respect to said panel comprising a first connector-retaining member having a substantially U-shaped central portion extending within the opening in said panel, and having end flanges positioned adjacent to the outer face of said panel for preventing said first connector-retaining member from passing through the opening in said panel, said central portion having an aperture therein, with marginal portions on the outer face of said central portion about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on one side of said groove, and a second connector-retaining member positioned adjacent to the inner side of said panel and having an aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in the first connector-retaining member, with marginal portions on the outer face of said second connector-retaining member about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on the opposite side of said groove.

3. In combination with a panel having an opening therein and an electrical plug connector having a peripheral groove, means for mounting said plug connector in an adjustable position with respect to said panel comprising a first connector-retaining member having a substantially U-shaped central portion extending within the opening in said panel, and having end flanges positioned adjacent to the outer face of said panel for preventing said first connector-retaining member from passing through the opening in said panel, said centralportion having an aperture therein, with marginal portions on the outer face of said central portion about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on one side of said groove, and a second connector-retaining member positioned adjacent to the inner side of said panel and having an aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in the first connector-retaining member, with marginal portions on the outer face of said second connector-retaining member about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on the opposite side of said groove, said second connector-retaining member having flange portions extending adjacent to the top and bottom edges of said central portion of said first connector-retaining member for preventing independent rotation of said first connector-retaining member.

4. In combination with a panel having an opening therein andan electrical plug connector having a peripheral groove, means for mounting said plug connector in an adjustable position with respect to said panel comprising a first connector-retaining member having a substantially U-shaped central portion extending within the opening in said panel, and having end flanges positioned adjacent to the vouter face of said panel for preventing said first connector-retaining member from passing through the opening in said panel, said central portion having an aperture therein, with marginal portions on the outer face of said central portion about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on one side of said groove, and a second connectorretaining member having opposite end portions positioned adjacent to the inner side of said panel, and having an intermediate portion having an aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in the first connector-retaining member, with marginal portions on the outer face of said second connector-retaining member about said aperture being in engagement with portions of said plug connector on the opposite side of said groove.

Goodwin June 21, 1955 Francis et a1. July 24, 1956 

